Tory Stoffregen [right] and Jason K. Herman [left] of The New Black 7
Tory Stoffregen is a graduate of Musicians Institute in Hollywood and has been writing, recording, and touring since he was sixteen. Hangovers & Heartbreak, which was released by Vanity Music Group on January 22nd is now available at select music stores worldwide and is also available on iTunes from Apple, Inc. Stoffregen engineered the CD with co-engineering assistance from Chandler Limited’s Wade Goeke, and additional engineering assistance from Grammy® winning producer Ryan Hewitt. The CD was mixed by Cedrick Courtois of Praxxis Media at The Castle studio in Oceanside, CA. Stoffregen discussed the band’s use of Chandler Limited products on the CD.
“We used a lot of Chandler Limited gear on this project,” states Stoffregen, and central to just about every track on the recording is the company’s Little Devil Pre Amp. The color and character that it adds to every different instrument is nothing short of amazing. The Little Devil’s Feedback/ Bias control—used with the Output control—is a really great tool to add or subtract color to any instrument and it’s especially useful when recording vocals. It really adds life to the tracks—making this processor an extremely versatile studio tool.”
Chandler Limited’s GAV19T guitar amplifier also assumed a prominent role in the production of Hangovers & Heartbreak. “When I heard the GAV19T,” Stoffregen continued, “I knew I had finally found the guitar tone I was always looking for. Every different instrument we used—from Gibson SG and Les Paul guitars to Rickenbacker and Fender Telecasters, the GAV19T reacts like no other amp I’ve ever used. It’s very sensitive to the touch and absolutely perfect for recording. There are two sections of the GAV19T I find especially useful. The amp’s Drive section allows you to boost various frequencies when recording with different guitars on each track and, equally important, is the Bias, which lets you dial in a variety of different color and sustain for the guitars.”
In addition to using Chandler Limited’s GAV19T guitar amp in the studio, both Stoffregen and lead guitarist Jason K. Herman use the amps on tour. “We both use the GAV19T when we perform,” Stoffregen reports, “and everywhere we play, guitarists come up to us after the show and ask what amp we use and tell us how great the sound is—and this includes several of the big Nashville acts we’ve opened for.”
With their new CD and a video for the first single titled ‘Crazy All Over Me’, The New Black 7 is clearly a band on the way up. They have shows coming up this summer with Bret Michaels, the Lo Cash Cowboys, The Outlaws, TJ Hodges, and more platinum selling acts—in addition to headlining shows and festival appearances all over the USA.
Reflecting on the success of their new CD, Stoffregen offered these final thoughts, “All the sounds came about very organically and quickly when we plugged into a variety of Chandler gear. It was just a matter of choosing which color we wanted for any particular track. While there was a lot of gear to choose from in the studio, we always came back to the Chandler Little Devil
[Pre-Amp], Germanium Compressor, and the TG Channel MKII. We couldn't be happier with the results and think Hangovers & Heartbreak speaks volumes of how world-class Chandler Limited gear really is.”
To learn more about The New Black 7, visit the band online at thenewblack7.com. To learn more about Praxxis Media, go to www.praxxismedia.com.
